As Executive Director of the Upper San Juan
Health Service District Dee Jackson began to lay out her financial
report for 2003 to the board, several members of an audience of 60 or
70, seemed to lean forward.

Two months ago, board member Debra Brown
announced an audit of September financials and an effort to bring
bank statements back into balance. At the time, Jackson said it was
important to wait until the right figures were available before
presenting an accounting of 2003.

Tuesday, the crowd waited in anticipation.
Seconds into Jackson's report, several people from the audience asked
her to speak up.

"Have her stand up and talk to us," Jim
Sawicki said from a back corner of the room.

Board chairman Charles Hawkins said Jackson
was on the agenda to make her presentation to the board.

"Why even have a meeting if you're not going
to speak so we can hear you?" another audience member asked.

"She's speaking to the board," Hawkins said
again.

Board member Ken Morrison replied, "I'd be
happy to stand at the back of the room if that's what it takes so
people can hear."

After a little more back and forth, Morrison
said, "I'm asking you to be polite and speak up."

Jackson continued with her report. The
volume remained the same. The complaints continued. She said the
figures available were close, but that some review continued and
slight revisions were possible.

In the administrative budget, which includes
the tax revenues, actual revenues for 2003 were $925,266, an
11-percent increase over budgeted revenues. Total expenses were 33
percent over budgeted figures.

Jackson said the expense increase was mainly
due to significant jumps in worker's compensation insurance and the
property insurance liability pool. The district's worker's
compensation premiums are 21 percent higher than the national average
because of the number of claims, she said.

According to the financial statements,
worker's compensation costs for 2003 were about $19,000, around
$17,000 more than budgeted. The property insurance liability pool
came in at almost $28,000. Nothing had been budgeted.

Another increase, she said, came in legal
fees. The district budgeted $10,000 for the year, but spent almost
$29,000.

According to the financial statements,
another budget increase came in hiring a training coordinator for a
portion of the year at about $25,000 and consulting fees of about
$9,000. Neither of those items was listed in the 2003 budget.

Some decreases were also apparent. Under
regulatory compliance, the district spent under $9,000 - $20,000 had
been budgeted. The interest expense for the bond was projected at
about $44,000 and cost about $30,000.

Net income for the administrative budget was
$578,275, about $8,000 below budget. Jackson said an estimated
$20,000 in income corrections needed to be added.

Looking at the Emergency Medical Services
budget, Jackson said she was "excited" to see total revenues up
slightly from 2003 budget projections.

The problem, she said, is that adjustments
were also up - 66 percent in fact. "We're making more revenue, but we
didn't keep as much of it," she said. The district must adjust
revenue down when certain insurance agencies, such as Medicare and
Medicaid, do not reimburse the full cost of care. In those cases, the
district cannot bill the patient for the difference, but must write
it off.

Actual cost of adjustments for 2003 was
$273,285, according to the financial statements, compared to the
$164,000 projected. That dropped gross revenues about $95,000 below
2003 projections. Total expenses for EMS were also below projections
- $568,041 compared to $610,945 projected.

EMS ended the year with a $209,745 loss
overall, about $50,000 more than reflected in the 2003 budget.

The Doctor Mary Fisher Medical Center bottom
line indicated a $148,000 loss, compared to a projected $11,000 loss.
Of course, when the 2003 budget was created, the cost of
restructuring the clinic was not included. That happened about
halfway through the year.

Jackson said actual income for 2003 was 14
percent below projections, less than anticipated since having to hire
a whole new staff. Expenses were up 5 percent, mostly due to the
locums, or contract staff, that had to be paid to keep the doors open
until a permanent staff was in place. For instance, costs for a
radiological technician locum were about $87,000, compared to about
$25,000 budgeted. With locums, she said, the district did save some
on malpractice insurance. Adjustments were lower than
budgeted.

Income from Urgent Care services was up 2
percent over budget figures, Jackson said. Adjustments in that
division were also lower than projected. Expenses in Urgent Care were
higher than projected - $99,582 compared to $78,101 in the
budget. Total loss for Urgent Care was $29,731. However, Jackson said
the district was overcharged for some locum work and should receive a
$12,000 credit.

Jackson invited board members with
additional questions to come meet with her at the district offices
for a more in-depth look at the figures. Using a computer program,
she said, it was possible to click on any figure and see what went
into the calculations.

Board member Brown said now that a majority
of the audit work has been completed, "no major discrepancies were
found. No fraud. Still there is a lot of work to be done."

She said in the last two months, several
requests for financial information have been processed. Initially,
she said, requests were denied, because, "I thought why give out
information you know is not correct? As a business person I didn't
think that was correct."

Once district legal counsel informed them
that they had to meet the public's requests for financial
information, with the exception of patient records, she said, they
began to process requests. She invited anyone interested in the
audience to make an appointment at the district offices to come in
and review the finances.

In separate action, the board approved
Michael Branch, a local accountant, to perform the district's 2003
annual audit.

Vacancies filled but questions
remain

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

And then there were seven. Well, six. Six
board members for the Upper San Juan Health Service District.

The five sitting board members voted after
some discussion at Tuesday's regular meeting to appoint Lorie
Woodmansee and Dean Sanna to fill a pair of vacant seats.

Sanna took the oath of office and
participated in the rest of the meeting, but Woodmansee was
unavailable. She had been called out-of-town on an emergency and is
expected to take the oath of office at the February meeting.

Before voting on the appointments, the board
nominated a slate of three candidates from a field of eight
applicants. The applicants included: Sanna, Dr. Robert Brown, Dan
Keuning, Woodman-see, Freda Whisman, James Carson, C. Don Lundergan
and James L. Knoll III M.D.

Board member Patty Tillerson, as secretary,
asked for nominations from the board. Sanna was nominated by Debra
Brown. Dr. Dick Blide nominated Dr. Jim Knoll, and board chairman
Charles Hawkins nominated Woodmansee. After that, nominations were
closed by a vote of the board.

Blide, reading from Robert's Rules of Order
on parliamentary procedure, asked if the voting would be cumulative.
According to the 2001 Random House Webster College Dictionary,
cumulative voting is, "a system that gives each voter as many votes
as there are persons to be elected from one representative district,
allowing the voter to accumulate them on one candidate or to
distribute them."

Tillerson said yes, and then told the board
members to, "vote for two." She apparently meant for the board
members to vote for two of the three candidates. This is not
cumulative voting.

When the ballots were examined, Blide had
apparently voted for Knoll twice, as allowed in cumulative
voting.

"We asked you to vote for two people, not
one person twice," she said.

Blide maintained his vote should be allowed
under cumulative voting procedures from Robert's Rules of
Order.

Chairman Hawkins said the board was not
mandated to follow Robert's rules and also had to consider special
district law.

"Try to do that at the county courthouse and
see what they say," he said to Blide.

Sanna and Woodmansee were declared the
winners. In doing so, Tillerson, who was counting the votes, threw
out one of Blide's votes. Apparently, board member Ken Morrison also
cast two votes for Knoll, expecting a cumulative count. One of his
votes was also thrown out.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Morrison
said he felt the vote had been "manipulated."

"I think it's important for people to know
how blatant this was," he said. "Confusion aside, it's obvious to me
the attempt was to make sure Jim Knoll was not on the board."

Sarcastically, he added, "We certainly don't
want a doctor on the board, especially one with an idea." Morrison
added that he had attempted to contact all the candidates for
interviews and had no problem with Sanna. Woodman-see, he said, he
was unable to reach by phone.

In a short presentation to the audience,
Sanna, owner of Chimney Rock Chiropractic, said as a member of the
board he would focus on giving Pagosa the best 24/7 clinic possible.
With the tax money flowing into the district, he said, it should be
possible to put the Dr. Mary Fisher Medical Center in a strong
financial position and give the community the health care options
needed.

Sanna said as the owner of several
businesses in his career, he had a strong financial
background.

"I know I can bring clarity to the
situation," he said. He also urged people to put the past in the past
and move forward.

Woodmansee, according to information from
district public relations coordinator Kathy Saley, also works at a
local business and has served as chairperson on the Lodgers Tax
Advisory Board in Los Alamos County.

The discussion on appointments didn't end
there. When Sanna took his seat, Tillerson made a motion to amend the
district bylaws to include a section on procedures for filling
vacancies on the board. In just over a year, the health service
district has made five appointments to fill empty seats.

"There's never been a procedure and we've
done it several different ways," she said. Tillerson proposed that
the procedure used to fill the most recent seats become the official
protocol.

To fill the latest vacancies, the board set
a deadline for people to turn in a resume and letter of interest to
the district offices. The resumes were then distributed to the
sitting board members for consideration. Each board member was
responsible for interviewing any or all candidates on an individual
basis.

"We tried to come up with the fairest way we
could think of," Hawkins said.

Both Blide and Morrison asked for some time
to review the motion before taking a vote. Morrison asked if the
complete motion could be included in the meeting minutes delivered
two weeks prior to the February meeting to give him ample time to
review it.

The board voted on continuing Tillerson's
motion until the next meeting. Five approved the continuance. Sanna
abstained. "I'm not up to snuff," he said.

School support service building
OK'd

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

A green light was flashed Jan. 23 for a new
combined services building for Archuleta School District 50
Joint.

But it was not the one envisioned by
planners and outlined for the board Jan. 13.

Trimmed from the project was the
administrative offices portion of the proposed structure. Added was a
receiving and warehousing section to take some of the load off the
current administration building and open more space therein.

Director Carol Feazel, board president,
initiated the discussion at a 6:30 a.m. work session, expressing her
opinion the administrative building and offices should remain a part
of the downtown scene.

"I had a bad feeling after the earlier
meeting about where it should be," she said. "I worried over it and I
believe the administration facility should remain where it
is."

Steve Walston, maintenance director for the
district and Steve Eccher a Durango architect who devised the
preliminary plan the board was considering for a site southeast of
the high school building, were asked what effect the change would
have on design and cost.

They agreed eliminating the administrative
portion of the project might cut total cost by up to 40
percent.

School officials said overall cost of the
project, including what already has been spent, what will be required
for complete drawings, site plans and biddable specs, and actual
construction and outfitting, considering possible bid alternatives,
could run up to $1.3 million. The original concept would have carried
a $2.2 million price tag.

Still alive, though not discussed at the
first session Jan. 13, is possible joint use of the facility by the
Town of Pagosa Springs. Walston told the board he'd been in further
discussion with town officials and that the idea would be to provide
three extra vehicle bays in the structure for town equipment
maintenance and repair.

The board voted unanimously to authorize
Eccher to proceed with the drawings and biddable specifications for
the project, with an eye toward a possible April bid advertisement
and July bid opening.

The architect, who had told the board
earlier that the slope of the prospective site could be adapted to
the multi-departmental plan, said the change to provide for receiving
and warehousing would allow use of slope for easier loading and
unloading on site.

When asked, in view of the changes, what he
thought of the proposal, director Jon Forrest, a contractor himself,
suggested the facility need not be as complex as original design
indicated.

He said an all-metal structure designed to
blend in with topography and the existing high school building and
vocational education annex would be cheaper and more realistic for
the type of use planned.

The board authorized the project contingent
on having no additional bonded indebtedness accrue.

Funding will come from the capital
improvement fund now holding in excess of $2 million and from
unrestricted Whit Newton funds willed to the district.

Feazel said the action came with full
understanding that extensive repairs still are needed at both the
junior high and elementary school buildings.

Both have continuous water leakage problems
and will get immediate repair work when weather allows.

The junior high, she said, will get an all
new roof in a three-phase project and leaks at the elementary school
also will be corrected.

The multiple services building, on
approximately two acres of a 10-acre site the district owns adjacent
to the high school, is a culmination of ideas to eliminate several
safety concerns throughout the district.

First and foremost, it will eliminate, to a
great degree, the congestion at the elementary school by removing the
bus yard and maintenance facility and opening additional parking and
student pickup and drop-off areas.

A state-installed access lane onto South
10th Street at the entrance to the school has had only minor success
in avoiding bottlenecks that border California freeway conditions at
some times.

The current maintenance building, too, has
severe leakage problems and is totally inadequate as an ongoing
repair facility spacewise, safetywise and in terms of utilities
needed for adequate operation.

Receiving and warehousing has been relegated
to small room added to the administration building that has proved
both inadequate and a detriment to student safety.

Warnings have been issued concerning
delivery trucks trying to access the site and the danger they pose to
students on the combined intermediate-junior high campus.

The board, Feazel said, indicated it expects
the new facility to be "serviceable and designed to provide
districtwide relief to serious safety concerns.

"I'm very pleased with the board's action,"
said Feazel. "We'll solve a conglomerate of problems in one effort
and still keep the administration a part of the downtown."

And, she added, "Because we and our business
manager have planned ahead, there are funds available, meaning we
won't have to ask the voters for more money."

PAWS adopts fee adjustments

to equalize costs with
services

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

Some are slightly higher. Some are slightly
lower. Some are new, and one doubled.

A portion of the costs included in the 2004
Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District fee schedule will have new
district customers digging a little deeper into their pockets to
cover district capital investment and inclusion fees, while costs for
water meter connections under one inch in diameter will be lower than
in 2003.

In addition, a pair of separate,
special-circumstance fees that had not appeared on the schedule in
past years - an "administrative" and "field trip" fee - has been
added to the slate as the result of actions taken by the district
board of directors Tuesday night.

The following is a breakdown of the fee
changes adopted by the district this week.

Capital investment
fees

District capital investment fees for water
and wastewater are up 3 percent across the board when compared with
last year's rates.

With regard to the capital investment fee
for water, residential customers will be required to pay 94 cents per
square foot in 2004; last year's mark was 91 cents per square
foot.

Commercial customers will be charged $1,880
per equivalent unit, up from the $1,820 rate charged last
year.

This year's capital investment fee for
wastewater stands at $1.42 per square foot for residential customers
(up from $1.38), while commercial establishments will be charged
$2,840 per equivalent unit (up from $2,760).

Inclusion fees

The 2004 application fee for those seeking
inclusion into the district for water or wastewater service is $600,
or double last year's fee of $300.

Acknowledging concerns from the board that
this year's rate may seem like a gouge, "The district has been
charging $300 for inclusion applications since at least the early
1980s," said Carrie Campbell, district general manager.

The increase is appropriate, said Campbell,
because "it's roughly the amount we need to recoup once we factor in
staff time, the amount of legal work that goes into preparing the
applications for publishing and district court, plus occasional
engineering costs."

Conversely, actual inclusion fees for water
and wastewater rose only slightly from last year's figures.

The inclusion fee for water stands at
$3,198, up from 2003's price tag of $3,170, while the corresponding
fee for wastewater is now $1,770, up from the previous mark of
$1,625.

Connection costs

Costs for connections to water meters this
year are set at $760 for a five-eighth inch meter and $800 for a
three-quarter inch meter. Both costs are down from last year's
respective totals of $795 and $820.

The costs to connect to larger meters are
up, however - a one-inch meter connection is $890 ($875 last year),
connection to a 1.5 inch meter is $2,375 ($2,315 last year), and
connection to a two-inch meter is $2,690 ($2,630 last year).

The connection cost for wastewater
(four-inch pipe) is set at $205, or $25 higher than last year's
fee.

New fees

Lastly, two new fees will be in effect for
some district customers in 2004.

The district will charge a $10
"administration fee" this year to cover the expenses related to
processing the required paperwork when a residence served by the
district changes owners, and when a rental property served by the
district changes tenants.

The district will also charge a $20 "field
trip" fee when it is necessary to perform a meter reading outside
what are considered normal meter-reading hours.

Lake levels

According to the latest readings provided by
Gene Tautges, assistant general manager, district reservoirs were at
the following levels early this week:

- Lake Hatcher - 80 percent full

- Stevens Reservoir - 100 percent full and
spilling

- Lake Pagosa - 80 percent full

- Lake Forest - 94 percent full

- Village Lake - 43 percent full.

Weather

Date High Low Precipitation

Type Depth Moisture

1/21

31

1

S

1.50

.16

1/22

35

3

-

-

-

1/23

37

6

-

-

-

1/24

38

7

-

-

-

1/25

29

10

S

.25

.03

1/26

28

-9

-

-

-

1/27

29

-14

-

-

-

Weekend may spell snowy end for
January

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

Pagosa Country received only a couple of inches of snow last week
as the nucleus of a potential winter storm system shifted to the
north of the Four Corners Region late Saturday.

However, indications are the chance remains at least decent for
January's snow total to increase by a few inches this weekend.

According to the latest regional forecasts, another low-pressure
system is slated to brush across southwest Colorado tomorrow night
and into Saturday.

"We're tracking a pretty fair-looking system that is moving
southeast out of the Pacific Northwest," said Dan Cuevas, a
forecaster with the National Weather Service office in Grand
Junction.

"It's too early yet to determine how much snow is possible, but
I'd say the mountains will almost certainly pick up a few inches if
the system stays on course," added.

"It looks like Friday night and Saturday stand the best chance for
snow at this point," concluded Cuevas. "But we could see some
leftover cold temperatures and flurries into Sunday as well."

According to Cuevas, high temperatures in the upper 30s can be
expected today, along with partly- cloudy skies and nighttime lows in
the single-digit range.

Friday's forecast includes a 40-percent chance for snow as clouds
are predicted to increase in number throughout the day. Highs should
hover around 40, while lows are expected to drop to around 10.

The forecast for Saturday lists the chance for snow at 50 percent,
with highs expected in the mid-30s and lows near or below zero.

Sunday through Tuesday call for partly-cloudy skies, a 20-30
percent chance for snow, highs in the low to mid-30s and single-digit
lows.

The snow chance drops to 10 percent for Wednesday; highs should
top out in the mid-30s, while lows are predicted to fall to around
10.

The average high temperature recorded last week at Stevens Field
was 32 degrees. The average low was 1 degree. Precipitation/moisture
totals for the week amounted to .19 inches; snow depth equalled 1.75
inches.

Wolf Creek Ski Area reports a summit depth of 106 inches, a midway
depth of 98 inches and a year-to-date snowfall total of 251 inches.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reports the current
avalanche danger in the southern San Juan Mountains is "moderate" to
"considerable," except near the Wolf Creek area, where the danger is
reportedly "low."

The latest reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
describe regional drought conditions as "moderate."

According to the latest SNOTEL data, the snow-water equivalent
level for the Upper San Juan Basin is currently 150 percent of
average.

San Juan River flow ranged from approximately 20 cubic feet per
second to 60 cubic feet per second last week. The river's historic
median flow for the week of Jan. 29 is roughly 55 cubic feet per
second.

Sports Page

Parks &
Rec

Pagosa youngster advances to
regionals in Elks Hoopshoot

By Joe Lister Jr.

SUN Columnist

Kain Lucero was the lone winner from the
three contestants who advanced to the regional shoot-out in Cortez
last weekend.

Brooke Spears and Mary Brinton were the
other local contestants, coming home with third and fourth place
respectively.

Kain shot a blistering 19 out of 25 shots to
advance to the state finals to be held in March. If Kain wins at this
level, he will have the opportunity to compete at the Regional United
States Shoot Off, location and date to be announced.

Congratulations to all contestants, and good
luck Kain.

Youth basketball

This is the last week of the regular season
for the 9-10, and the 11-12 year old youth basketball groups.

This week will be our busiest of the year
with games being played from Monday through Saturday.

Tournament play begins Feb. 2 for all age
groups. The final league standings will determine tournament seeding.

Come watch these youngsters play in the
single-elimination tournament on Championship Saturday, Feb. 7, with
championship games for both leagues being played at the community
center gymnasium. The first game is at 10 a.m.

Adult basketball

As of Tuesday, we have received only three
complete teams for adult basketball. Rosters and players' fees must
be turned in by 5 p.m. today at Town Hall.

Volleyball clinics

The Pagosa Springs Parks and Recreation
Department is in the planning stages of a series of clinics for girls
ages 10-18. The clinics will be held in conjunction with all area
school coaches.

We plan to host local girls for clinics in
late March; preliminary plans have us hosting clinics Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays throughout the spring and summer.

The clinic schedule will be very flexible to
work with club and high school coaches' pre-scheduled events.

Camp director will be Myles Gabel the new
recreation supervisor, who has 18 years of collegiate Division 1
coaching experience as an assistant to volleyball powerhouse
University of Southern California, which won four national
championships.

Clinics will be held for coaches and players
to learn new skills and technique.

Coaches interested in working at clinics
should contact Myles Gabel at 264-4151, Ext. 232.

Pirate wrestlers tie Centauri,
prepare for final meets of regular season

By Karl Isberg

Staff Writer

Oh, so close.

Pirate wrestlers fought a dual match against
the Centauri Falcons at La Jara Jan. 23, with both teams needing the
win to stay alive in the race for the Intermountain League
title.

When the smoke cleared, the teams were tied
39-39 and the win was awarded to the Falcons on criteria.

The match was peppered with forfeits on both
sides of the mat. Action started at 119 pounds and Michael Martinez
nailed an emphatic 10-2 win over Centauri's Rory Keys - a wrestler
who battled the Pirate hard last year during the regular schedule and
in the post season. Martinez beat Keys 5-3 last season to win the
Class 3A championship at 112.

"This was a great match for us," said coach
Dan Janowsky. "It was the first time Michael really scored on him in
all three positions."

Daren Hockett lost a close one at 125 to
Jacob Sheridan. This time, Hockett stayed close enough to Sheridan to
be in position to win, losing only 4-2.

"It's the closest Daren's been to Sheridan
so far," said the coach. "Daren gave up the first takedown and had
some trouble getting off the bottom. But, he got a takedown and this
was one of Daren's best matches. Daren keeps running into really good
wrestlers at this weight, and he is handling it."

Ky Smith lost his match at 130 and Centauri
forfeited to Raul Palmer at 135 and James Gallegos at 140.

Aaron Hamilton came up big for Pagosa at
145. The senior earned maximum points with a second-period pin of
Centauri's Brian Atencio.

"Aaron was real aggressive," said Janowsky.
"He did the job for us."

As did Kory Hart at 152. Hart continued his
winning ways, earning a 17-1 technical fall over Chris Flores.

"Kory had no trouble at all," said the
coach. "We could have used a pin, and I thought we had it several
times. Kory had the kid buried a couple times, but didn't get the
call."

David Richter lost his match at 160 and Matt
Nobles received a win by forfeit at 171.

Pagosa's regular 189-pounder, Marcus Rivas,
was ill and unable to compete at Centauri. Janowsky moved James
Martinez from 215 to 189. Martinez lost his match, as did Joe Romine
at 215. The Pirates forfeited the match at heavyweight.

The brightest moment of the night might have
come in the final battle.

"We got to 103," said Janowsky, "and we
needed Orion Sandoval to pin his man to get us the tie. There was
some real drama in that match."

The drama played out well as Sandoval, the
sophomore, pinned his man in the second period.

"Orion is doing a great job for us and he
really came through," said Janowsky of the win.

"I thought our team was obviously better
this time around," said the coach. "Duals and matchups are difficult
to explain sometimes, but I think we showed we are making strides.
Centauri is a good team. They beat us by six earlier in the year
(Dec. 13, at Buena Vista) and we tied this time and lost on criteria.
We are real competitive."

And, said Janowsky, the team can become more
competitive in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 13-14 regional
tournament.

"I thought nearly everyone wrestled better
at Centauri" he said. "Michael wrestled great; Daren was way better;
Aaron Hamilton looked real good; Kory was doing what he has to do,
and Orion was a real surprise. We still have a lot of time to
continue to improve. One adjustment here, another there, can make a
difference, and we'll keep looking for the breakthroughs.

Next up for the Pirates is a tri meet
tonight at Del Norte, with Salida joining the fray. Pagosa fights a
dual against each team, with action starting at 6 p.m.

The Pirates travel to Ignacio Jan. 31 for
the annual Ignacio Invitational.

The tourney starts at 10 a.m.

Pirates at 13-0 after toppling
Battle Mountain 85-45

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

Fort Collins is roughly 340 miles from
Pagosa Springs.

Why is that important?

Because unless someone slows down Head Coach
Jim Shaffer and the Pirates, Fort Collins may be the spring-break
destination of choice for many locals when the Class 3A boys' state
basketball tournament begins March 11.

Heading into Saturday's clash with Class 4A
Battle Mountain, Shaffer was mildly concerned about fatigue being a
factor when his crew took the home floor for their third contest in
less than 48 hours.

Such concerns melted away throughout the
course of the game as the Pirates posted their highest scoring total
of the season while dealing the Huskies an 85-45 loss to improve to
13-0.

Pagosa senior Clayton Spencer took the
opening tip, and the Pirates got four each from Caleb Forrest and
Jeremy Caler as they jumped out to an early 8-4 lead.

Connor Drum, a lone bright spot at the
offensive end for the Huskies, cut the lead to 8-6 with two from the
block but Forrest's three-point play and a trey from Caler put the
home team up 14-6 with just over three minutes remaining in the
opening frame.

Then the Huskies' Chris Romero knocked down
a trey after a wild scramble for a loose ball at the Battle Mountain
end, and the first quarter ended with the Pirates holding an 18-9
advantage after a hoop each from Forrest and Ryan Goodenberger.

The Huskies got two each from Drum and
Thomas Pacheco early in the second stanza, but Spencer, Goodenberger
and Coy Ross converted assists from Ty Faber into eight points to
push the lead to 26-13 with 5:20 left in the half.

The back door was open for Pagosa throughout
the remainder of the period, and Spencer and Luke Brinton paired up
for the next Pirate six before Goodenberger lobbed to Forrest and
Craig Schutz scored on a dish from Caler to make it 36-18 with 1:25
to play.

Then Faber scored on a back-door cut and
Forrest dropped in two from the inside to answer a deuce from the
Huskies' Shea Phelan as the half ended 40-20 in favor of
Pagosa.

The Pirates pulled ahead 49-20 in the first
two minutes of the third as Caler drilled a trey, Forrest crushed a
put-back jam and Faber hit for five straight with a layin and
three-point play.

The offensive barrage continued for Pagosa
in the final six minutes of the quarter, and the Pirates led by 34
after Casey Belarde threaded a bounce pass through the lane to Craig
Schutz, who converted to make it 62-28 at the horn.

The margin swelled to 36 with two minutes
gone in the fourth as David Kern hit Brinton for two inside and the
Pirates got free throws from Ross and Craig Schutz to lead
67-31.

Drum added to his team's total with an
occasional basket, but the Pirate trio of Otis Rand, Casey Schutz and
Paul Przybylski spent the better part of the period dishing inside to
freshman forward Jordan Shaffer, who scored 10 straight points to put
Pagosa up 77-39 with 2:15 to play.

Craig and Casey Schutz added two each down
the stretch and Jordan Shaffer added four more before the buzzer
sounded to end the contest with the scoreboard reading 85-45
Pirates.

Forrest led Pagosa with 17 points and pulled
down 10 boards, followed by Jordan Shaffer with 14 points and Caler
with 12. Brinton and Craig Schutz added 10 points apiece.

In addition, Faber handed out eight assists
and totaled four steals to go along with seven points; Spencer added
five assists and Goodenberger tallied four.

In summary, "Offensively, we played really
well, but at times in the first half I thought we slowed down a
little on defense," said Coach Shaffer after the game.

"But the kids picked it up again in the
third quarter, which is tough to do when you travel as much as we did
this week before playing your third game in three days," added
Shaffer.

"Overall, this week was a good test for us,
because we played the same type of schedule we'll have to play if we
get to the state tournament," said Shaffer.

With respect to tonight's Intermountain
League battle at Ignacio, "We need to get after their shooters; we
can't let them stand behind the line and pop threes all night," said
Shaffer.

"If we take care of business on defense, we
should be all right," concluded Shaffer.

One night after holding Kirtland, N.M. to a
first-quarter goose egg, Pagosa Head Coach Jim Shaffer's Pirates
served up another to the host Monte Vista Pirates in the first frame
of Pagosa's 74-35 Friday night win.

Holding an opponent scoreless for an entire
quarter of basketball is a genuine rarity for most teams; doing the
same twice in one season is virtually impossible for any team.

But Shaffer's squad has proven all season
that it's not just "any team," and, to the dismay of a stunned home
crowd, served notice again during a 24-0 first-quarter trouncing of
their Intermountain League rivals.

Pagosa junior Caleb Forrest scored the
game's first five points via an inside feed from David Kern and drive
for a three-point play, then Ryan Goodenberger hit a baseline trey to
make it 8-0 with three minutes burned.

The lead grew to 12-0 on a deuce from Kern
and two free throws from Forrest, then 15-0 after a three-point play
from Clayton Spencer and a dish from Ty Faber to Forrest with 3:30 to
play.

Though Monte Vista's Clinton Medina - one of
the state's leading scorers - was able to squeeze off a few shots in
the quarter, none found the mark as he grew increasingly frustrated
due to constant hounding from Kern and Goodenberger.

As a result, a jumper in the key from
Goodenberger and assists from Faber to Forrest and Jeremy Caler soon
put Pagosa up 21-0, then Forrest tallied the final points of the
period with a drive and free throw to complete a three-point
play.

Monte couldn't manage a shot in the final 16
seconds of the quarter, and Shaffer's troops left the floor to a
standing ovation from the Pagosa crowd after the horn sounded with
the visitors up 24-0.

The lead grew early in the second as Faber
hit Forrest and Craig Schutz for points in the paint before Clinton
Medina ended Monte's drought at 6:25 with a jumper to make it
28-2.

But eight straight from Pagosa, including a
free throw and trey from Coy Ross, a Forrest deuce and two at the
line from Casey Belarde widened the gap to 36-2 midway through the
quarter.

Monte got five more from Clinton Medina and
three from C.J. Medina in the final minutes, but the half ended with
Pagosa in command 43-10 after Spencer and Caler combined to add seven
to the total down the stretch.

Goodenberger hit Kern for an eight-foot
jumper to open the third, then sank a jumper of his own to make it
47-10 at the six-minute mark.

Monte went down 51-10 after baskets from
Spencer and Forrest, then trailed 55-12 after Forrest got four
straight to counter a lone deuce from Clinton Medina.

Monte would score no more in the period, and
trailed by a staggering margin of 51 after single baskets from Ross
and Craig Schutz and a pair from Luke Brinton made it 63-12 Pagosa
with three quarters gone.

Brinton and Craig Schutz combined to get the
first five of the quarter for the visitors and Jordan Shaffer netted
the final six as Pagosa improved to 12-0 on the season and 2-0 in the
IML with the 74-35 win.

Forrest shot 10-11 from the field and 4-5
from the stripe to lead Pagosa with 24 points, followed by Craig
Schutz with eight and Spencer and Goodenberger with seven
each.

Faber led in the assist category with seven
and snared six steals, while Goodenberger tallied five assists and
Spencer added four.

Reflecting on his team's effort, "It was the
best defense we've played all season for sure, considering the fact
they got zero points in the first and only two in the third," said
Shaffer.

"But we just did what we normally do with
the defense," he added. "We probably played a little harder, but
other than that, we really didn't change our approach."

With respect to Clinton Medina, who entered
the contest averaging roughly 24 points per game and finished with
nine, "David (Kern) and Ryan (Goodenberger) did a heck of a job
keeping tabs on him in the first half," said Shaffer.

"Any time you can hold a guy like that to
around 10 points, you can feel good about what you've done out there
defensively," concluded Shaffer.

Pagosa's schedule this week has the Pirates
traveling to Ignacio to take on the rival Bobcats. Game time tonight
in the Ignacio High School gym is set for 7 p.m.

After defeating their first 10 opponents by
an average of 26 points, Pirate Head Coach Jim Shaffer and his
charges traveled to Kirtland, N.M. Thursday night hoping for a test
from the 2002 and 2003 state champs (Division 4A).

And the No. 2-ranked Broncos, who compete in
a home facility that makes some college venues seem obsolete, were
happy to oblige.

But the test was one of patience for
Shaffer's crew and Pirate faithful as Kirtland effectively employed a
stalling strategy that could have been patented as a surefire cure
for insomnia.

Nevertheless, thanks to some overtime
heroics from the Pagosa trio of Ty Faber, Caleb Forrest and Clayton
Spencer, the Pirates were able to leave town with a 37-31 win.

After Kirtland's slowdown antics failed on
early possessions, Pirate senior Jeremy Caler scored the game's first
deuce on a baseline feed from Ryan Goodenberger, then hit Faber with
a stolen pass for a layin to make 4-0 with five minutes gone.

A steal and resonating jam from Spencer made
it 6-0 at the 1:43 mark, and Caler finished a one-sided first quarter
with a corner trey to make it 9-0 Pagosa at the horn.

The only blemish on an otherwise admirable
first-period stat line for Pagosa was the number of team fouls
recorded - the Pirates tallied four, the Broncos none.

The discrepancy would prove beneficial to
the Broncos in the second; they were soon in the single bonus after
Kirtland standout Devon Manning scored 90 seconds in to make it 9-2,
and at one point held a 10-1 advantage in the fouls column.

The Pirates got a deuce from Craig Schutz
and a free throw each from Faber and Luke Brinton, but by halftime
several Pagosa starters were in foul trouble and Kirtland had cut the
margin to 13-11, with seven of their total coming from the
line.

With the pace and turnover rate picking up
in the second half, Forrest hit a pair of jumpers from the top of the
key and Spencer scored underneath as the lead began to alternate
early in the third.

Manning was kept off balance by a rotating
defensive lineup featuring David Kern, Coy Ross and Caler, but
baskets from Kirtland's Adam Huff and McKay Hathaway put the Broncos
up 21-19 with 2:30 left in the period.

Then Forrest and Kirtland's Aaron Adams
traded free throws to make it 22-20 before Faber struck for three to
give the Pirates a one-point advantage late in the frame.

Manning regained the lead with two from the
line, but Caler found the bottom of the net with his second trey of
the game just before the buzzer sounded; Pagosa led 26-24.

Kirtland's Larrin Benally tied the game
seconds into the fourth quarter, but the Pirates responded with a
Goodenberger-to-Caler deuce on an inbound pass to put the visitors up
28-26 at the five-minute mark.

The Broncos took a 29-28 lead midway through
the period with a Benally free throw and a floater from Adams, then
brought the game to a standstill by holding the ball near half court
for nearly two minutes after the Pirates failed to convert.

The Broncos eventually put the ball on the
floor at 1:57, but an illegal screen gave Pagosa possession at
1:17.

Then Faber connected on a baseline three
with 49 ticks remaining to put Pagosa up by two, but Manning
responded with a 14-footer to knot the score at 31 with 35 seconds
left.

The Pirates had a chance to put the game
away on their last possession, but some miscommunication in the final
five seconds forced Goodenberger to hoist a hail-Mary from several
feet behind the arc and the teams headed to overtime.

Neither team threatened in the first two and
a half minutes of the extra frame until Faber picked Adams' pocket
with 1:35 to play.

Shaffer instructed his team to hold, then
put the offense in motion with 30 seconds left.

Ten seconds later Faber drew the defense
into the lane with a drive and slipped a back-door pass to Forrest,
who converted with his left hand to give Pagosa a 33-31 lead.

Kirtland pushed the ball up the floor, but
Faber sealed the victory with a steal and assist to a breaking
Spencer, who scored with a layin, then converted both free throws on
the ensuing intentional foul call to put the visitors up by a final
margin of 37-31.

The final six seconds were academic as the
resulting inbound pass was knocked to half court, and the Pirates
were soon celebrating their eleventh win of the season.

Caler shot 4-5 from the field to take top
scoring honors for Pagosa with 10 points, followed by Faber with nine
and Spencer with eight.

Defensively, Faber led the Pirates with four
thefts, followed by Brinton and Goodenberger, who tallied two
apiece.

With regard to the slow tempo, "What's great
about this game is we found a way to win against a team that used a
very different style of play, something we really haven't seen
before," said Shaffer after the game.

"They (Kirtland) also played great defense -
their matchup zone caused problems down the stretch, but I was happy
with the way we found a way to score when we absolutely had to," he
added.

"It's rare to get a win in here, and I can't
say enough about our kids and the way they responded tonight,"
concluded Shaffer.

Next up for the Pirates is an Intermountain
League showdown with host Ignacio tonight. Game time in the Ignacio
High School gym is set for 7 p.m.

A super first quarter and a consistent game
both offensively and defensively thereafter keyed a 55-42 Pagosa
Springs victory over Monte Vista Friday night.

From the moment Bri Scott drilled the first
of her two treys in the game on the first offensive possession,
Pagosa was never headed.

Scott's consistency after a series of games
in which she was up and down, was a key element in the Pirate win,
along with strong bench play by Melissa Maberry, Laura Tomforde and
Caitlin Forrest.

Scott's opening three-pointer unleashed a
Pagosa offense Monte Vista could not rein in and by the end of the
period the Pagosans were up 19-7.

Scott added a second trey, Maberry
contributed another and sophomore point guard Liza Kelley had six
points on two layins and a short jumper in the period.

Of perhaps greater satisfaction to Coach Bob
Lynch was the fact junior forward Lori Walkup also was two-for-two in
the frame. Walkup had been lectured for her hesitancy to shoot in the
last two games prior to Monte Vista, but came out firing
Friday.

Five of the seven first-period points for
the San Luis Valley Pirates came from their leading scorer, Tabitha
Guitterez, who would end the game with 20, the other two from guard
Judy Moran who finished with eight in the game.

Guitterez and Leesa Gonzales tried to pull
Monte back into contention in the second period, gunning in six and
seven points respectively. Pagosa, getting points from five players
in the period, was outscored 16-11 and fell behind in the battle for
the boards - temporarily.

Many of Monte's points in the period came on
second-chance shots and at the half they led in offensive rebounds,
11-7.

Pagosa scores in the period came from Scott,
freshman guard Jessica Lynch on a left-handed reverse layup, Maberry,
Tomforde and Forrest.

Monte Vista, meanwhile, got two each from
Duran, Krystal Kramer and Erin McCaullife to close the gap to 30-23
for Pagosa at the halftime break.

Pagosa increased the margin by one at the
end of three, outscoring Monte Vista 8-7 in the frame on buckets by
Scott, Lynch, Walkup and Tomforde. Guitterez answered with a pair of
two-pointers for the Valley Pirates and Alesia Romero came off the
bench to contribute a field goal and a free throw.

Pagosa's inactivity on the boards was a
thing of the past in the final period. They controlled nearly every
rebound and ended the game with a 36-25 margin, though lagging on
offensive takebacks 15-14.

The key to the period, however, was the
steady offense, no matter who was on the floor for Pagosa.

Scott added four points in the stanza as did
Forrest, who also had four of her six game rebounds in the
period.

They got supplemental scoring support from
Kelley, Walkup and Caitlyn Jewell, each with three points in the
period.

And while Jewell was held to just those
three points in a one-for-five night from the field, she was the
game's leading rebounder with nine, four coming in the last
period.

Guitterez had five more markers in the final
period and Duran added four, McAuliffe two and Stephanie Wright
one.

For the game, Pagosa was 25 of 56 from the
field for a .446 percentage and Monte Vista 17 of 49 for .346
percent.

Pagosa was six-for-11 from the foul line and
Monte Vista just seven of 17 from the charity stripe.

The win gave Pagosa a 10-3 mark for the
season and a 2-0 standing in the Intermountain League. That puts them
in a tie for the league lead with Centauri which is 11-1 on the
season, living up to its preseason billing as the top challenger for
league honors.

The Lady Pirates travel to Ignacio for an
IML contest at 5:30 p.m. today then are idle until welcoming Centauri
for a 5:30 p.m. contest Feb. 9 and hosting the same Monte Vista
Pirates Feb. 7 at the same time.

Ignacio comes to town Feb. 12 then the
Pirates close the season on the road - Feb. 13 in Bayfield and Feb.
21 at Centauri in La Jara.

After the awards ceremony, there will be a
victory celebration with dinner and dancing for athletes and their
families at Elks Lodge in Durango.

The following day, St. Columba Catholic
School of Durango will host a basketball tournament for Special
Olympics squads from Cortez, Farmington and Durango.

Athletes competing in the Southwest Area
Winter Games will qualify for the Special Olympics state competitions
to be held at Copper Mountain Resort Feb. 22-23 for skiing and March
13 at University of Northern Colorado for basketball.

This year's state competitions are also a
qualifier for World Games to be held in Nagano, Japan in 2005. Six
gold medal winners will be chosen from Colorado for the 300-member
United States Special Olympic Team.

For more information on Special Olympics,
call Lynn Martens, area manager, at 385-8545.

Letters

Separate issues

Dear Editor:

I am going to try to respond to Mr. Sawicki's letter in the Jan.
22, SUN. It appears that there are two issues Mr. Sawicki insists are
interdependent and can not be separated.

The first is the public support of our active duty troops in a
time of war and encouragement of continuing Veterans Administration
medical and support services for the veterans of current and past
conflicts.

The second issue, though not quite as well defined, seems to be
that President Bush, in his part time role as commander in chief of
the armed forces, should be totally immune from any criticism as part
of our obligation of troop support.

The first issue of troop support has become a euphemism for
discrediting, as not patriotic, anyone not sharing the same political
beliefs. This is totally without basis in fact because I have never
heard of a single individual who does not feel the loss of every
killed or wounded service man or woman, and the families left behind.

I suggest to Mr. Sawicki and all of like mind that perhaps the
time has come to do something besides give lip service to troop
support. The best thing we could give the active duty units and the
reserve and guard units being called to active duty, is a new command
structure. Commanders have been relieved in the past, when they
failed in their duties, and events of the past year raise serious
questions about our top civilian command structure.

Veterans' benefits, though obviously related to the current
conflict, are a much wider problem still in meeting obligations to
service personnel from WW I on. I share with Mr. Sawicki approval of
the recently added funds, which are still short of meeting the
growing demands on the VA system. I do not believe however that VA
benefits are some form of gratuity from our current commander and
chief.

I have had an ongoing relationship with the VA since drawing
educational benefits following WW II, and then medical benefits
following the Korean War. The VA medical system has passed through
several stages of adequacy or inadequacy in meeting the growing needs
of an aging veteran population.

We are very fortunate in this county to have had in recent years a
series of Veteran Service officers who all have gone well beyond
their job requirements in getting the very best service for us. The
personnel at the clinics in Farmington, Durango and Chama have given
their best as well.

This having been said, it does not or should not support making
this a political issue. The current federal administration either
should meet the ongoing obligations to the citizens who have carried
the burden of past and present wars or be made accountable

I am a third generation Republican, and since 1964 still wondering
why the GOP cannot be both fiscally responsible and socially
progressive.

Glenn Bergmann

Blide replies

Dear Editor:

I am responding to last week's letters to the editor submitted by
two members of the Upper San Juan Health Service District board -
Patty Tillerson's 'Truth of the matter' and Debra Brown's 'Letter
derided.'

First I, as a board member, requested in early December a copy of
the district's general ledger for the last six months of the year. I
asked for this information because we, the board, were told by
management that the district's financial records were in disarray;
however, we were given no factual information.

I take my fiduciary responsibility as a board member very
seriously, so asking for the general ledger was the most obvious way
to get factual information. I was refused this information by the
executive director, the board chairman and the treasurer. I was told
this was a "work in progress" and I couldn't see it until it was
finished.

Our district's attorney verified that they had to provide this
information to me. Management checked this out with two other
attorneys and was told the same thing. So, finally, in mid-January
this information was provided to me.

The USJHSD is not a private business, it is a public entity. If
management and these two board members had read the Special District
Association's rules and the Open Records Act, they would have known
that these records are available to all citizens of Archuleta County.

If this simple request for information by a board member, to which
I had a right, had been met with an equally simple supplying of the
document, all of this hullabaloo would have been avoided.

Secondly, I asked for these records as a board member, not as a
"private citizen" as stated by Patty Tillerson in her letter.
Therefore, it was not necessary to remove any information from these
files. This unnecessary, time-consuming work on management's part was
of their own making. I asked that they put this information on a CD
which would have taken them all of 10 minutes. I had no intention of
letting anyone else see the general ledger, nor have I done so.

Patty Tillerson and Debra Brown, you need to reexamine your
statements for the "Truth of the matter." I have e-mails from both
the treasurer and the executive director to back up my statements.

One of the core values the board established at a workshop in
September 2003 was "treating each other with respect and dignity." I
ask that we do just that.

An election is coming up May 4 for six positions on the USJHSD
board. I only hope and pray that between now and then we can carry on
the campaign process in a civil and positive manner.

In the end the voters will decide what the future of the health
service district will be. Our job is to provide them with the
information to make the best decision possible and that is what we
will do.

Dick Blide

Covenant ignored

Dear Editor:

Ron and I live in 4 Corners Vacation Properties, a subdivision
about 10 miles west of town. The subdivision has a recorded covenant
stating "No Businesses."

Yet, when someone bought a piece of property in this subdivision
with the sole purpose of running a bed and breakfast, the majority of
the planning commission ignored the covenants and the many letters
written by the land owners objecting to any business in our
subdivision, the planning commission still gave them permission to go
ahead with the bed and breakfast. I thought a bed and breakfast was a
business.

What gives the planning commission the right to ignore the
covenants and override us here in the subdivision?

I thought we lived in America.

Our concern is what will be next - an apartment building or a car
body shop? Whichever will bring in more revenue for the county, I
suspect. There are many other areas of concern as well. What about
our water supply, fires and wildfire?

We feel we were lied to, ignored and railroaded in this decision
and we certainly were not treated fairly by out public officials.

If you live in a tract with a covenant - beware!

Disillusioned and confused,

Sharon Cairns

Filling vacancies

Dear Editor:

A little history on filling vacancies to the Upper San Juan Health
Service District board of directors.

There has never been an established policy for this. I have served
on this board under three different chairmen. Under John Weiss,
vacancies were filled at the same meeting as the resignations by a
hand-picked individual of the chairman and voted in by the members.
This practice continued under the next chairman, Dick Babillis. When
Dick resigned from the board before his term was up, the board
meetings were chaired by the secretary, per bylaws.

The five remaining members decided to try something new and that
seemed to be more fair. We announced the vacancies, took time to
accept applications, then held interviews before an open public
meeting. From these interviewees, we elected two applicants who had
served on the Citizens' Advisory Committee. Following this, we
elected Charles Hawkins to serve as chairman until the time of the
regular election of officers which, per bylaws, is done at the first
meeting following the May elections every other year.

We received much criticism for this new plan, mainly that it was
awkward for the applicants. So, when we found ourselves with another
vacancy, we returned to the "old way" and elected another person who
was active on the Citizens' Advisory Committee. We were again
criticized for our method of election, even though this had been
acceptable by past boards.

In contrast to former board chairmen, our current chairman,
Charles Hawkins, encourages input from all members on issues of
importance; thus board members offered a number of suggestions to him
to arrive at an acceptable procedure.

This time the vacancies were advertised, a deadline of Jan. 9 was
set for receiving applications, and following the deadline, copies of
all applications were provided to every board member for examinations
and private interviews, if they so desired. Since elections to fill
vacancies due to resignations are open to board members only, this
seemed fair to all.

By the time this reaches print, the vote will have been taken and
the vacancies filled. I will add that, while all applicants had the
credentials to provide this volunteer service to the community, I
based my vote on the commitment of the individuals to continue the
good work we have done, commit to building for the future and
guarantee quality health care services for all our citizens and
tourists for decades to come. That is the major issue - guaranteed
services.

Patty Tillerson

Community
News

Senior News

Silver Foxes Den will benefit
from Red Shoes Trio concert

By Laura Bedard

SUN Columnist

Big news for all you classical music lovers: Do we have a concert
for you! Be ready for a great show the evening of Feb. 12.

The Fort Lewis College faculty group, dubbed the "Red Shoes Trio"
for this event, will perform at Community Bible Church at 7 p.m.
Proceeds will benefit the Silver Foxes Den Senior Center and the Fort
Lewis scholarship program.

Ticket sales will begin Monday at the senior center - adults $10,
children 12 and under $8 and seniors with membership cards $8.

Tax help

AARP Tax Program is back. Volunteers are here again to help with
your taxes. They will also review your self-prepared tax form and
assist with any questions you may have.

This service is available to any age, low and moderate income.
They will also e-file for you for free if AARP tax volunteers
prepared the tax form.

They will be here to assist you 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays in the
arts council room of the community center. Appointments can be made
weekdays in the dining room by signing up, or at the Thursday
sessions. Walk-ins are accepted by arrival time, if and when
counselors are available.

Membership benefits

Don't forget to buy your 2004 Archuleta Seniors Inc. membership.

The sooner you get your membership, the sooner you can get great
discounts. You or your spouse must be at least 55 years old to
qualify. You get good deals around town and help our seniors for only
$3 a year. In February, the new hours to buy memberships are Monday,
Wednesday or Friday, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Photo contest

The U.S. Administration of Aging is pleased to introduce the 2004
Older Americans Month National Photography Contest. The purpose of
this contest is to enhance the image of older Americans to all
generations through pictures. The photographs are to reflect the
photographer's interpretation of the Older American's Month theme:
Aging Well, Living Well.

This contest is open to nonprofessional photographers, age 60 and
older. Only senior center directors can submit entries, so bring your
entry in before Feb. 7.

The photo subject should include at least one older person or
groups of older people and reflect the above mentioned theme. Photos
may be in black and white or color and must be 5 x 7 or, if using a
digital camera, include a print of the photo and a copy of the
digital file on a disk (floppy, Zip or CD). Images made from negative
must include the original negative. First, second and third place
winners and their senior center representative will receive an award
and a trip to Washington, D.C. for the awards ceremony to be held in
May 2004.

We are sorry we aren't giving you much time to produce a winner,
but it's still a great opportunity to show the world how cool our
seniors are in Colorado and maybe go to Washington, D.C. with
Musetta. Contact her for more information at 264-2167.

Odds and ends

We are celebrating January birthdays Friday. Come in for lunch if
your birthday is this month.

We'll offer a new class soon: Tai Chi Chih starts 10 a.m. on
Monday, March 15. Jerry Granok has been a certified instructor for
about 10 years. This is an eight-week course to learn the basics.
Come in and check out this easy and relaxing movement class.

Old George continues to reminisce at the SC_O (Senior Center Bars
None)...

"I was watching a basketball game the other night and it reminded
me of when I played center on the team in high school.

"I remember after each shot, the ball was returned to the center
circle where the referee tossed it in the air and we had a jump ball.
That slowed the game down severely and it was unusual to have a
basketball game where over 30 points were scored.

"Another thing that has changed a lot in basketball is the
three-point shot. Now, if the shot is from a designated area it will
count for three points. This has increased the scoring of most teams
and has been a favorable addition to the game.

"Football has changed somewhat too. The biggest change is that a
player no longer has to play on both offense and defense as we did
many years ago. There wasn't much resting on the bench, as I
remember.

"Baseball, the 'All American Sport' however, is still played much
the same way as it was when I was young. Whenever three or more kids
got together on a vacant lot in the summer a baseball appeared and a
game began. Do you remember?"

Our thanks go out to Bob and Mary Hart for
allowing us once again to invade their gorgeous accommodations for
our annual board retreat.

This time we actually inhabited two of their
cabins, one for our meeting and one for our lovely lunch, and both
were as comfortable and beautiful as one could possibly hope for.

We are so grateful to the Harts and can't
thank them enough for their amazing hospitality.

The really astonishing thing is that we are
invited back next year, and we will take them up on that offer in a
New York minute. Thank you Mary and Bob for your friendship and
willingness to host us every year.

Your Chamber board of directors, Morna and I
spent all day Friday looking at the year 2004 and planning our
strategy.

Our new directors, Jessie Formwalt, Tony
Gilbert and Patti Renner were totally initiated into our craziness
and brought some of their own along with them. They arrived with
matching black T-shirts announcing they were the "Class of 2007" on
the front and "Chamber Director" on the back. They were perfectly
accessorized with red bandanas and wild animal slippers (I confess
that Tony had grave reservations about the slippers and was heard to
mutter toward the end of the day, "I don't know about these things -
I think I'm going to have to give them away.") At any rate, they were
a joyous addition to the Chamber gang in attendance that day: Scott
Asay, Bob "E" Eggleston, Sally Hovatter, Angie Gayhart and Toby
Karlquist. You will be happy to know that we worked all day long and
accomplished a great deal. We are all ready and willing to attack the
new year with enthusiasm, zeal and a dedication to having a good time
while working to make our Chamber better than ever.

One of the things we do at the retreat is
elect new officers for the year and Friday was no exception. Sally
Hovatter is our new president, Toby Karlquist, vice president, and
Jessie Formwalt, Class of 2007, is our secretary/treasurer. She was
greatly relieved to learn she isn't required to take minutes or
handle money in her new position.

Congratulations to Sally, Toby and Jessie on
the election and their collective status as "executive board."

Winterfest

I mentioned last week that it looks like
we'll be able to safely say that the "Anything Goes Downhill Sled
Race" will take place at 1 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Best Value High Country
Lodge three miles east of town on U.S. 160.

We can all look forward to the balloon
ascensions on Saturday and Sunday mornings as long as Mother Nature
cooperates, and we can also count on the Winter Perch Tournament at
Hatcher Lake on Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. This event will be
the second of its kind this year sponsored by the Pagosa Lakes
Property Owners Association, and hopefully will be even bigger and
better than the first.

Open to the public, tickets can be purchased
at Ponderosa Do-It-Best, the Sports Emporium, Chamber of Commerce,
Pagosa Lakes Recreation Center and Pagosa Lakes administration
offices for $5 pre-event price and $7 at the event.

Hundreds of dollars in cash prizes will be
awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners in the two
categories: most perch caught and largest perch caught. Kids 16 and
under are free, and no ticket is required. All kids can compete for
ice-fishing tackle prizes.

This day of fun and fishing will wrap up
about 2:30 p.m., and you are welcome to call the PLPOA offices for
more information.

Upscale anniversary

Teri at Upscale Resale will soon be
celebrating her second anniversary and invites you to join her Feb.
7. I'm sure she will have a treat or two in store for you to boot. We
wish Teri a very happy anniversary and hope that she will celebrate
many more. You can give her a call at 731-4779 with questions or just
drop by 117 Navajo Trail Drive Feb. 7.

Photography contest

Don't forget the 16th annual photography
contest coming up in February with an entries deadline of 5 p.m. Feb.
4. Sponsored by the Pagosa Springs Arts Council and Moonlight Books,
this competition is open to all amateur and professional
photographers who may submit three entries in either black and white
or color, but only two entries in any one category. Each photo must
be at least 5 x 7 (unmatted/unmounted) and the total circumference of
a matted/mounted/framed photo may not exceed 85 inches.

All are invited to attend the opening
reception at Moonlight Books Feb. 7 from 5-7 p.m., and the photos
will remain there on display until Feb. 28.

F.I.S.H.

We've already talked about a fishing
tournament in this column, but I'm about to address fish of another
variety sponsored by Vectra Bank and your friendly Chamber of
Commerce. F.I.S.H. is an acronym for "Fresh Ideas Start Here" and you
have the opportunity to attend a three-series workshop exploring all
kinds of new ideas for your business.

These two-hour sessions will be held in the
Visitor Center board room on consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning
Feb. 17 and continuing Feb. 24 and March 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Among the topics covered by David Broyles in
these seminars are: 10 Fatal Business Mistakes, How to Improve Cash
Flow, How to Develop Top-Quality Customer Service, How to Start a
Business, Buying and Selling a Business and many more.

I will also tell you that these workshops
have been conducted in other towns and cities and have been extremely
well-received by business people. I will also caution you to contact
us immediately if you are interested in attending because there are
only 15 openings and seven are already taken.

The series of three is $29 per person, and
you are invited to come to the Visitor Center to register or call us
at 264-2360. Your completed registration form and check will assure
you a spot for F.I.S.H.

Lord of the Springs

Pagosa Pretenders is gearing up for their
four performances of "Lord of the Springs," an original play based
loosely on the J.R. Tolkien trilogy.

The third film in this trilogy just received
the Foreign Press Golden Globe award for best picture of 2003, so
that makes "Lord of the Springs" even more alluring.

This is family entertainment with actors of
all ages, produced by Pagosa Pretenders in association with Artstream
Cultural Resources, Inc.

Performances will be held at Pagosa Springs
High School Feb. 20, 21, 27 and 28 beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are
available at Moonlight Books.

Membership

We have one new member to introduce to you
this week and four renewals. Bringing new folks into the Chamber fold
and renewing loyal existing members always makes these cold, cold
January days just a bit warmer for us.

Welcome to new Associate Member, Jamie
Dinkler who was recruited by our Top Recruiter, Kathryn Heilhecker. I
must remember to ask Kathryn exactly how many recruitment notches she
now wears on her belt - a lot, I assure you. Nice going,
Kathryn.

Our renewals this week include Teri Matzdorf
with Upscale Resale; Verna L. Lucas with The Touchstone Gift Shop;
George R. Johnson and Laurie Phillips with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage;
and Dave Pokorney with Diamond Dave's Jewelry and Pawn, Inc. Street.
We thank each and every one.

Library News

Treat yourself to a 'knot of
toads' and a 'wealth of words'

By Lenore Bright

SUN Columnist

Glenn Raby is allowing us one more
opportunity to display his exceptional mineral collection before it
goes to a new permanent home.

Glenn is well known for his Chimney Rock
work, and other lectures on many geological subjects.

You are invited to see this collection that
rivals that of any museum.

Altered books

Cathy Dodt-Ellis, who used to live here in
Pagosa, turned us on to a new creative technique involving collage,
old books and freedom to play around.

"Altered Books, Collaborative Journals, and
Other Adventures in Bookmaking," by Holly Harrison, is a grand
introduction into this new field. (At least new to me.)

This book lets you learn how to choose a
book to alter, what you can do to its pages and cover, and then how
to experiment with common household materials to create unique
bindings.

You will find out how to start a round-robin
group or join one on the Internet. You may discover ways to maximize
visual impact through techniques such as burning, photo transfers,
gelatin prints and more. You will meet new multimedia artists.

If you like collage, painting,
rubber-stamping, bookbinding, sewing or just keeping a diary or
sketchbook, you will find a wealth of ideas for creating books and
journals.

Holly Harrison is a free-lance writer and
editor. She's authored many art books and contributes to numerous
magazines.

The author asks, "What is it about the
nature of books that makes altering them so much fun?"

This time of year is perfect for a new hobby
to challenge your creative spirit. Check out "Altered Books."

More new books

How many of you own a copy of a world
almanac for 2004? It is a fact that almost 75 percent of all
reference questions can be answered in this one small inexpensive
paperback book.

The one we buy each year is the "New York
Times World Almanac and Book of Facts for $11.95." It is number one
in coverage, currency and usability. I am sure our bookstores would
be glad to order a copy for you.

It is fun for those of us who enjoy words to
browse through the pages. On page 620, are Eponyms (words named for
people) leotard - a close fitting garment - was named for Julius
Leotard, a 19th century French aerial gymnast. Bloomers - full, loose
trousers gathered at the knee - after Amelia Bloomer, an American
social reformer who advocated such clothing in 1851. (I think I was
still wearing them as gym suits in the '40s.)

The other one I really like is the
collection of animal group names such as "congregation of
alligators," a "sleuth of bears," "convocation of eagles," an
"exaltation of larks." Treat yourself to a "knot of toads," and a
"wealth of words."

"The Illustrated Guide to World Religions,"
edited by Dean Halverson is primarily a book for Christians covering
other religions. It was originally written for students planning to
be Christian missionaries.

The editor states: "In our tolerant and
relativistic age it is not in vogue to talk about a particular
religion as being unique. But such attitudes cloud the claims to
exclusivity that Christianity and other religions make, not allowing
a person to actually grapple with those claims. If you are not a
Christian, I invite you to consider the arguments for Christianity
that are presented here."

Donations

Our thoughtful donors continue to strengthen
the building fund. Thanks to Vectra Bank for a Millennium gift; Mr.
and Mrs. Kingsbury Pitcher are Sponsors; Roseanne and Davey Pitcher
join as Associates.

Joann and Jerry Sager donated to our book
fund in memory of her mother, Berniece Campbell, who loved to read.
Materials were thankfully received from Chuck Watkins, Jeanne
Simpson, Marty Gallo, Violette Hamblin, Nancy Walls, Irene and
Terrence Burke, and Sandy Lohman.

Veteran's
Corner

World War II Memorial
dedication drawing heavy local interest

It appears a number of veterans from
Archuleta County are planning to attend the dedication of the World
War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. this Memorial Day.

I have heard there could be a million people
attending the ceremonies and most of them will be WW II veterans.

This will probably be the greatest gathering
of WW II participants since the war itself.

Memorial Day
dedication

The dedication is scheduled May 31 at the
Memorial site located near the Reflecting Pools between the
Washington and Lincoln Monuments. It is located in such a position so
it will not disrupt the clear view between the two existing
monuments. In fact I think, if my memory serves me correctly, there
is a law the view cannot be obstructed.

I've been at the monuments more years ago
than I care to say (hint - a WW II general was president), and it is
a most honored and beautiful place. Gives one pause to think about
the great deeds Washington and Lincoln did for our country. Both
found their places in our nation's history for their leadership
during a time our country was at war.

It is befitting the men and women who served
in WW II are being honored on this hallowed ground.

Local veterans
attending

Among those WW II veterans from Archuleta
County making plans to attend the dedication that I know of are Bill
Clark, Bert Hyde, John Walker, Bruce Muirhead and Charlie Young.

If you are planning to attend or know
someone who is, please give me a call and let me know. I'm sure some
of those already planning to make the trip will want to coordinate
plans with others from Archuleta County.

Financial help

As I recently wrote, there is some money
through the Colorado Veteran's Trust Fund available to help pay for
expenses for WW II veterans to attend. It won't pay for all the
expenses, which I estimate could run as much as $2,500 for the five
days or so, including travel, lodging, meals, etc., but it will help.

The only requirement for the money is the WW
II veteran is in need of financial assistance to make the trip. The
money is being dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis of up to
$1,000 per veteran. I have the application forms available at this
office for the travel money.

Donated corporate
jet

As I understand it, a Denver company has
also donated some 10 seats on a corporate jet for transportation to
and from Washington D.C. for this occasion.

It is uncertain at this time how many seats
are still available. They are also being filled on an as-needed
basis, first-come, first-served, and may be already filled as you
read this.

If you are interested in either of these
assistance offers contact me as soon as possible so we can make the
proper application for you.

If I do not have you in my local files, we
will need a copy of your DD214 or some form of verification of WW II
military service.

Local legislator
helps

We can thank local state Sen. James Isgar
for sponsoring the bill through the Legislature last year. The
Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs has also played a role in
obtaining funds for the project.

It just so happens chairman of the CBVA Ted
Johnson also lives near here. It seems southwest Colorado is well
represented when it comes to affairs for veterans.

For information on these and other veterans'
benefits call or stop by the Veterans Service Office located on the
lower floor of the county courthouse. The office number is 264-8375,
the fax number is 264-8376, and e-mail is
afautheree@archuletacounty.org. The office is open from 8 to 4,
Monday through Thursday, Friday by appointment. Bring your DD Form
214 (Discharge) for registration with the county, application for VA
programs, and for filing in the VSO office

His training culminated with a teamwork exercise known as "The
Crucible" in which his platoon covered 45 miles on foot in three days
while averaging two hours sleep per night and only one meal per day.

A 2003 graduate of Pagosa Springs High School, the son of Johnny
and Glenda Parker is currently attending MOS schooling at Twentynine
Palms, Calif.

Stephanie Bliss Gordon, a freshman
from Pagosa Springs majoring in English, has been named to the dean's
list for the fall quarter at Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Va.

Students named to the list have attained a 3.4 average or better
of a possible 4.0.

Eleven Pagosans inducted into
National Honor Roll

Eleven Pagosa Springs students have been inducted into the spring
2003 National Honor Roll.

The National Honor Roll recognizes high school and middle school
students.

"Young people like these inductees, who work hard to attain
academic success, deserve to be congratulated," said Lynn Romeo,
publisher of the national list.

Sixty-one percent of the inductees on this honor roll averaged A-
or better.

The last bell of the school day rings.
Students scatter, some home with parents, others to empty homes, some
to after-school programs.

Friday afternoon, two students left class
and boarded a bus to a metal building off Majestic Drive. They
climbed unfinished stairs and turned right into a room recently
remodeled just for them. Comfortable kid-sized furniture, art
supplies and a new teacher await.

The smiles kick off a Friday at Pagosa's
newest after-school program for students age 6-13. It's part of
Discovery Junction, a childcare center and preschool operated under
the nonprofit organization Rising Stars of Pagosa Springs. Cost is
tiered depending on parents' income. Classes run from 3:15-5:30 p.m.
Mondays through Thursdays and 1:15-5:30 p.m. on Fridays.

Four days a week, the students focus on
homework and then group activities. Fridays they change tracks,
spending their time on art projects, including bookmaking,
papermaking, texture rubbing and monoprinting. "I like to incorporate
examples from books you can go to the library and check out as well
as different careers into the lessons," D'Ambrosi said.

Popcorn and juice is next. After all, who
can create on an empty stomach? Allison is anxious to show off a book
of animals she got from the library. Then, they gather supplies for
the day's art project. This week's focus is collage and zig-zag
books. The students will learn about some of the parts of a book, and
about collage - an art technique using overlapping materials -
in this case cut or torn paper.

A zig-zag book, D'Ambrosi, explained, has a
front cover, back cover and end pages, just like any book. The
difference is the pages are all connected, and the book is made by
folding. A reader may look at each individual page, or fold them out
to get one big picture.

The theme of the books is winter. D'Ambrosi
said after brainstorming things that go with the theme, students
picked at least five from the list to illustrate their books.

"Words," was the correct answer. "We have to
tell the story about winter without using words," D'Ambrosi said. In
a few minutes, the students were off and running, concentrating on
their scissors and a whole box of great papers.

Unlike other school-age or after-school
programs in the community, Amy Hill, director of Discovery Junction,
said this one will be offered year round. In the summer, it will be a
full-day alternative for families.

"So many children go home to no parents or
just siblings after school," Hill said. "We just saw a need for
consistent, year-round school-age care."

Pagosa, she estimated, has about 400
elementary school students. If 70 percent of those students have two
working parents, she said, its likely 50 percent of those have
nowhere to go after school. Discovery Junction's program offers
another option. So far, it's a class of three, but the room is built
for 20. Getting the word out is the next step, Hill said.

The after-school program and the rest of
Discovery Junction is part of Rising Stars of Pagosa Springs. Rising
Stars is a nonprofit organization with a board of directors working,
"Š to enhance the lifestyles of individuals, families and youths
through cultural awareness, physical activity, creativity, education
and the arts," organized just over a year ago by Jennifer Martin,
director of Rising Stars of Pagosa Springs gymnastics, and now
executive director of the nonprofit.

Martin was in search of more room. The
building she occupied in 2002 was simply too small. Insulation was
poor and the layout kept her from hosting tournaments. She knew
gymnastics on its own couldn't float a building. How to pay for it?
Martin said she'd visited places, including Grand Junction, where the
gym was part of a larger facility offering childcare or other
family-centered activities. The same thing, she thought, might work
here. When equipment was moved out of a metal building just east of
Piedra Road, she saw her opportunity and jumped at it.

Hill and dance instructor Stephanie Jones
agreed to join the effort.

In June, they opened Discovery Junction, a
childcare center for toddlers and preschool students. San Juan Dance
Academy took up another part of the space. They've been growing ever
since, adding programs as construction finished in different
spaces.

Currently, gymnastics serves about 150
students, Martin said. Dance another 50. Eighteen preschoolers and
five toddlers attend Discovery Junction. Oh, and recently they
decided to sponsor a junior golf league. A 12-week parenting class,
"The Incredible Years," starts soon. Doors open at Discovery Junction
at 7:30 a.m. They close at 5:30 p.m., but the building is still busy.
The last martial arts class doesn't end until 9 p.m. some
nights.

All try to keep costs down to make the
services an option for everyone.

"Our goal is not so much to make money from
it, but to offer another service to the community," Martin said.

So far, that's meant a lot of grant writing
and hands-on work. Martin and a friend have done all the remodeling
themselves.

"Before I was just a ski bum playing with
the kids in the afternoons," Martin said.

When she leased the building, classrooms had
to be created. Special floors and padding were needed for dancing and
gymnastics. And then there's grant writing. A grant from the Temple
Buell Foundation funded the after-school program startup. Now,
they're working on grants to help with operating costs.

Still, all that hasn't been as hard as
becoming a nonprofit.

"It was a nightmare," Martin said. "Mostly
because there are no resources in Pagosa to help you do it, no
lawyers or anybody to help you along." The gymnasts moved into the
new building in February 2003. Martin incorporated and began to
tackle nonprofit forms.

"It took us until June to figure out how to
send in the application," she said. The final approval arrived just a
couple of weeks ago.

The detail required was amazing, Martin
said, especially because they were looking to be classified as a
school. They had to have a nondiscrimination clause; a detailed
explanation of activities offered and budgets to cover the next three
years of operation.

"They wanted to know where every dollar
would be spent," Hill said.

To continue to keep the costs down, grants
and donations will be the center's lifeblood.

"It's a forever process," Hill said. In
fact, she had to leave to meet with a group working on the most
recent grant effort. They will depend on donations, "just to support
what we have going on here."

Along that vein, they plan to sponsor one
major fund-raiser a year - a golf tournament and auction in August.
Their first netted the organization $6,000, a figure both Hill and
Martin were proud of, "considering we pulled it together in about
three weeks."

In three weeks, they may be capable of
anything. They haven't stopped yet.

For more information on Rising Stars of
Pagosa Springs and Discovery Junction call 731-5437.

Pagosa's
Past

Shootings and lynchings mark
the halcyon cattle days

John M. Motter

PREVIEW Columnist

In the halcyon cattle days, feuds between
San Juan Basin ranchers burned with a fury amounting to civil war.

It was a time when decent folks stayed
inside, especially at night. Doors were bolted and strangers watched
carefully.

Charles A. Jones, publisher of the Dolores
News at Rico from 1878 to 1886, leaves us this account of the
lynching of Bert Wilkinson, a victim of this form of frontier
warfare. Jones' story is published in "Pioneers of the San Juan
Country."

Jones was joined in business by frontier
newsman Frank Hartman, who had lived for some time near Farmington,
N.M. Hartman had a shirttail relative named Bert Wilkinson.

Wilkinson followed Hartman to Rico. Jones
described him as a big boy, kindly, and most willing.

At about the same time, Rico blossomed as a
sort of headquarters for the Stockton-Eskridge gang. Dow Eskridge
claimed the Simmons gang of Farmington was rustling cattle from his
La Jara Creek ranch.

Warfare between the two gangs escalated.
Each side added to their numbers until running battles were being
fought from horseback. Men bled and died.

Eskridge's younger brothers, Harg and Dyson,
were of the restless age and led the gang until Ike Stockton, a
celebrated killer from Texas, moved in and took charge. Ike was the
leader, followed by Harg.

At one time when the Stockton-Eskridge party
were throwing down a few drinks in Durango, the Simmons gang peppered
the town with rifle fire from the bordering rim rocks.

Jones heard so much from the
Stockton-Eskridge bunch about how bad the Simmons "rustlers" were, he
began championing their cause in his newspaper. New Mexico
territorial governor Lew Wallace also heard about the shooting and
bloodshed and offered rewards for capture of members of the
Stockton-Eskridge gang. Wallace also asked Colorado Governor
Frederick W. Pitkin to help capture the Rico gang.

Jones ghost-wrote a letter to each governor
defending the Stockton-Eskridge bunch and pointing out that the
Simmons gang had foully murdered Tom Lacy because he was Ike
Stockton's friend.

Then he armed his staff, cut portholes in
the log newspaper office, and waited for Simmons' retaliation.

Meanwhile, Bert Wilkinson joined the
Stockton-Eskridge gang and became a reckless, daredevil young
man.

Along in September of 1881, the Rico outfit,
while drinking in a Silverton dance hall, raised the stakes by
shooting out the lights. One of the gang shot down Marshal Clate
Augsbury when he attempted to restore order.

A member of the gang by the name of Brown
was immediately caught and lynched. Bert Wilkinson and Dyson Eskridge
were afoot and on the run.

Jones searched the San Juans in an attempt
to find and save Bert and Dyson. Then a strange thing happened: Gang
leader Ike Stockton decided to cash in on the reward money. Ike
delivered Wilkinson to Silverton, collected the reward money, and
slipped out of town with an armed escort. That night the Silverton
sheriff was overpowered and Wilkinson mounted on a chair with a noose
around his neck. It is said he shouted "Audios, gentlemen" and kicked
the chair away, saving the posse from having to perform the
execution.

La Plata County deputy sheriff Jim Sullivan,
said to be friendly toward the Stockton-Eskridge gang, obtained a
warrant to arrest Ike Stockton. It is believed he pulled his
six-shooter at the same time he handed the warrant to Stockton in
Durango. The soft-nosed .45 shell bored a big hole in Stockton's
femur. Stockton was taken to the San Juan smelter office where he
bled to death. It is also said a small crowd watched him die while
chanting, "Go to hell and face Bert Wilkinson."

More next week on the early cattle industry
in Pagosa Country.

Editorial

Register to vote,
now

It seems early to sound this note, but we
will soon be in the thick of a vital political season. As a result,
it is time for many residents of Pagosa Country to register to vote
and to participate in the political process. Before we know it, April
13 and party caucuses will be here; May 4 brings an important local
district election. The party process will be in full swing with
assemblies held between April 23 and May 13. The primary elections
will take place Aug. 23 and on Nov. 2 a general election will be at
hand.

In order to participate in the party
process, you must be a registered voter. If the traditional party
system holds no appeal, the unaffiliated voter must register in order
to vote this spring and next fall.

An important call goes out to our fellow
citizens between the ages of 18 and 35, and to those who are
disenfranchised, distanced from the political process. It is
imperative you get involved, now.

There are substantial reasons for the
younger members of the community to become politically active. It is
the young who are fighting a war, and will fight others. It is the
young who are starting or will soon start families. The young have
recently entered the job market, or will soon enter it, seeking
prosperity, and security. It is the young who will be called upon to
bear financial burdens to tend our nation and its older citizens. The
young will assume government debt. It is the young who will march
into an uncertain future, bearing our community's and country's
standards and hopes.

Citizens 35 and younger must step up and
engage the political process by voting and running for office, and
participate in the management of their communities. This community,
for example.

There is little doubt the majority of older
and retired people in our community will vote, as they should. But,
take a look at our local elected officials and note their ages. If
you are young, it should be clear others determine your political and
economic future if you do not participate. It's not that others are
oblivious to you or your values, but they do not always see the world
through your eyes, they sometimes do not reckon with your
needs.

Those disenfranchised from the politiical
process must reach the same conclusion and take the same course to
remedy their situation.

Only you can make your marks, and you will
not do it with complacency. Someone will set the course for you if
you do not set it yourselves.

It is fashionable to deride our democracy,
to ease out of responsibility, cushioning the retreat with
mathematical arguments about how one vote does not matter, supporting
political failure with comments about how, when all the votes are
counted, the system is run by the same powerful interests, by the
same old men.

There is a grain of truth to this, in
particular as the political arena grows larger. And it will be the
case in Pagosa Country if our younger and disenfranchised residents
do not respond in an active way.

Political realities are different in a small
community than at the state or national levels. A small community can
be influenced, if you make the effort. Start here.

Register to vote at the county clerk's
office. To vote May 4, you must be registered 30 days prior. To
participate in the April 13 caucuses, you must be registered 30 days
before. The same holds for the Aug. 10 primary and the Nov. 2 general
election.

It is time for young people to register to
vote; it is time for the disenfranchised to do the same. Now.

It is time to swell the ranks of voters and
political parties with new faces and different interests, and move
ahead.

Karl Isberg

Pacing
Pagosa

Faith in man restored - for
now

Just when you begin to sour on the current
edition of mankind, a series of incidents puts a damper on the
tendency to condemn.

It happened for me last weekend returning
from covering Pagosa Springs High School basketball in Bloomfield,
N.M.

The car, which had been running ever so
smoothly through the winter to date, suddenly began to overheat as I
was in the middle of an area where I chose not to have to be
stopped.

As the temperature climbed and dash lights
flashed, I reasoned my best bet was to try to get to Durango.

Up Bondad Hill and across Florida Mesa I
went, spewing dark smoke and watching the temp gauge climb to the
top. Suddenly, it plummeted and then spurted back up again just as I
reached the top of Farmington Hill outside Durango.

And then the on-board computer, obeying
warnings from trouble sensors, shut down the engine and I coasted to
a stop just barely across a busy side road.

As I attempted to call my motor club for
service, another vehicle stopped and its occupants inquired if I
needed help, stayed on hand until I contacted the motor club and had
help on the way, and then offered to help push my vehicle back out of
the side road entrance.

The man, his wife and her mother all joined
the effort and the attempt was a quick success.

The motor club said it would take 30-45
minutes for the tow truck to arrive and worried that I would be safe
until that moment. They said they'd notify state patrol of the
breakdown and the location.

In just over 20 minutes, the tow driver was
on the scene and in five minutes had the car hitched up and we were
on our way back to Pagosa Springs.

The fact it is operating today is a tribute
to the automotive design engineers who programmed the computer system
to protect the vehicle and to the local mechanics who put hours into
repairing all the small systems which were damaged by the heat and
the shutdown - i.e., thermostat, belts, gaskets, fluids, control
systems, and the key sensor which burned out telling the computer to
shut down.

I remember as a teen being unafraid to tear
into an engine - particularly on a 1948 Mercury I owned - replace
parts and update systems. A yard full of parts was easy to reassemble
with a little planning.

With today's modern automobiles, however, I
almost need a manufacturer's spec sheet to get the hood open and with
all the modern technology, wouldn't know where to start to get it
working again.

The modern automobile is a marvel of
engineering acumen when working properly, but one really needs a
trained and competent mechanic and systems analyzer to discover and
repair damages to its mysterious inner operations.

During the several days I was without the
car, untold numbers of locals volunteered rides to and from work, to
and from the market, and to and from the repair shop.

Thanks to all of those involved for
restoring, at least temporarily, my faith in humanity.

Legacies

90 years ago

Taken from Pagosa Springs New Era files of Jan. 30, 1914

Pagosa Springs is surely sufficiently cosmopolitan to pass an
ordinance requiring sidewalks in front of business houses to be kept
clear of snow - the ordinance ought not be necessary; it should be
done as a matter of civic pride.

Last Saturday the O'Neal Park school house was completed and a
housewarming dance was held in honor of the occasion. There will be
about 30 scholars in attendance when the school opens April 1st.

J.B. Patterson of the Arlington Hotel, is making extensive repairs
on that well known caravansary. Newly painted inside and out, and
with the rooms repapered and thoroughly renovated, the Arlington
Hotel will be one of the best of its kind.

75 years ago

Taken from SUN files of Feb. 1, 1929

Otis Snooks of Piedra has succeeded in killing another mountain
lion, making two within two weeks, for which he also received the
Denver Post bounty of $25.

Boiler trouble developed Saturday afternoon at the temporary light
plant. It was necessary to send to Durango for the boilermaker at the
smelter to come and make the repairs. Mr. Dornbass arrived on Sunday
morning, and early the following morning service was resumed.

A passerby yesterday morning discovered the roof of the residence
of Philip Johnson to be afire; the alarm was sounded and the hose
carts rushed to the scene, but a few buckets of water made their use
unnecessary. A spark from the chimney had set a few shingles afire.

50 years ago

Taken from SUN files of Jan. 29, 1954

The storm over the weekend resulted in the mail being delayed here
Monday and again on Tuesday and Wednesday. The eastbound mail truck
was held up until 2 a.m. Tuesday morning with the Monday evening
mail. The delay came about when Wolf Creek Pass was temporarily
closed because of a large truck crossways of the highway on this
side.

The location of the REA office in Pagosa Springs has been changed,
it was announced this week by the La Plata Electric Association. The
office of the co-op has been located in the old bowling alley next to
Goodman's store for the past several years, but is now moved to Lewis
Street. The office is being moved this week and will be open for
business on February 1.

25 years ago

Taken from SUN files of Feb. 1, 1979

Snowfall on Wolf Creek Pass is inching up there towards a winter
record this year. January snowfall, until Wednesday totaled 110
inches. This isn't the heaviest snowfall of record for January, but
it comes on top of record November and December snowfall. The Pass
was closed again the first of the week because of slide danger, but
it is in good shape for travel at present.

Several school events were cancelled the past week because of
stormy weather and a day of school was cancelled because of weather.
This is the second time in 21 years that school has closed because of
too much snow. Most of the events have been rescheduled and by the
first of the week all school events will be back on schedule.